24 July, 2017

The politics of the forgotten humanitarian crises in Yemen and Gaza

Millions
of Yemenis are starving as Saudi Arabia continues to bomb the
country, while the people of Gaza lack electricity and medical
supplies due to a 10-year Israeli blockade. Both conflicts and the
crises they have unleashed are tied to the U.S.’ arms industry’s
unending pursuit of profit.

by
Whitney Webb

Part
3 - Gaza under siege as Israel, Egypt continue 10-year blockade

The situation in Yemen may very well be the worst
humanitarian crisis currently taking place in the world. However,
there are other parts of the world that are set to share a similar
fate, particularly the besieged city of Gaza, Palestine. For more
than ten years, Gaza has been illegally blockaded by the state of
Israel, as well as Egypt – a blockade which, according to Amnesty
International, has “unlawfully deprived Palestinians in Gaza of
their most basic rights and necessities.”

The blockade – along with three military conflicts in
which Israel targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure – has
crippled Gaza’s economy and led to the severe deterioration of
living conditions, forcing the majority of the population to become
dependent on humanitarian aid. Gaza’s residents, numbering well
above two million, are essentially cut off from access to the outside
world, making the coastal city the world’s largest open-air
concentration camp, for all intents and purposes. Even human rights
workers are barred entry into the city.

While Gaza residents have resisted the blockade for
years, the situation has grown dire in recent months. Gaza has been
long forced to rely on electricity supplied by Israel and Egypt, the
very nations who enforce the blockade. Yet, last month, the
Palestinian Authority – in a move allegedly aimed at weakening the
political power of Hamas in Gaza – requested that Israel
drastically reduce the amount of power it supplies to Gaza, which has
now dropped from 120 megawatts to 48. This meets barely 10 percent of
the enclave’s electricity needs: an estimated 450 to 500 megawatts.

Things have only grown worse since the power cuts began.
Two weeks ago, power lines going into Gaza from Egypt became
inoperable. Then last Thursday, Gaza’s only remaining power plant
completely shut down. Israeli NGO Gisha stated that the plant’s
closure has left residents’ lives “disrupted, entire hospital
wards are shut down, untreated sewage is spilling to the sea in
heretofore-unseen quantities and beaches are becoming more dangerous
for swimming.”

Numerous NGOs have spoken out against the recent power
cuts, warning of a “looming” catastrophe. However, the evidence
clearly shows that the catastrophe is already well under way and is
quickly worsening. As noted by the Middle East Monitor, “it is
shameful that international organisations continue to warn of an
‘impending’ untenable situation when the present circumstances
have already deteriorated, possibly beyond repair even if the present
violations are halted and reversed.” Indeed, past criticisms of
Israel’s blockade by international NGOs and aid organizations have
had hardly any effect on the actions of the Israeli government
regarding Gaza.